Ingredients (per mug)

1 tbsp cocoa powder
2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 – 1 1/2 cups cashew milk (or plant milk of choice)
optional: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Method

1. Heat the cashew milk in a pot over medium to medium high heat on the stove, stirring occasionally. The longer that you heat it, the thicker it will become. I like to heat it until it is just bubbling on the sides.
2. Meanwhile, mix together cocoa powder, maple syrup, and optional spices in a mug. Keep mixing until it becomes a uniform chocolate syrup – it will keep looking powdery at first, but it will come together.
3. Pour heated milk into the mug and stir to combine chocolate syrup with the milk to create your hot cocoa.

Notes:

1. This hot cocoa can be taken to the next level if you top it with whipped coconut cream. Dust the top with a pinch more cocoa powder and/or shaved vegan chocolate for beautiful presentation.
2. If you are making hot cocoa for many people, you can choose to mix the syrup into individual mugs so that everyone has the flavour of choice (preference of sweetness and spiciness) and then divide the hot milk between the mugs. I like this method because then it becomes an activity where everyone makes their own and gets to watch the milk turn into hot cocoa. If everyone is having the same sweetness/spiciness, I recommend creating the syrup in the pot before adding the milk and before beginning to heat it. Stir in the milk after the syrup is uniform and then heat everything up together, stirring frequently.
3. Use a liquid sweetener of choice if you do not like/have pure maple syrup. If you use a granulated sugar or sweetener, take 1-2 tbsp of milk before heating and use that as the liquid to create your cocoa syrup in your mug.
4. Different plant milks will react differently to heating. I like my cashew milk as well as oat milk because they become thicker and frothier with heating, like when making lattes. Other plant milks, whether store-bought or homemade, may not thicken. They work just fine though if that is your preference!
5. You can also add 1 tsp of vanilla if you want to add even more richness to this drink.